Mal Bien White Tape Espadin Morales
~45.5% ABV (91 proof, batch-varying) | 750mL | 100% Espadín (Agave angustifolia) | Mezcal Artesanal — Mal Bien White Tape Espadin Morales is the Morales family's flagship espadín and Mal Bien's most classic, widely available expression — identified by the white strip of tape on the bottle rather than a printed label, a nod to how mezcaleros label their garrafones. Oscar Morales Garcia, 4th-generation mezcalero of San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca, works from his late father Don Lucio Morales López's recipe. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
The production is traditional all the way down: pit oven 5–7 days over encino and white pine; tahona crush; open-air pine-vat fermentation 4–6 days with well water; double distillation in two 275-liter copper pot alambiques. The profile is herbal and citrus-forward — fresh herbs, lime zest, roasted agave sweetness, pepper, earthy minerality, clean gentle smoke — with a long dry finish, bottled at an assertive ~91 proof that holds up in cocktails while still showing real terroir. Mal Bien (founded 2016; a curator/independent-bottler model likened to independent Scotch bottlers) bottles it as their everyday-drinking espadín. Among agave spirits, the white-tape Morales is the reference-point pour for classic Oaxaca espadín.
Tasting notes
Herbal and citrus-forward: fresh herbs, lime zest, roasted agave sweetness, pepper, earthy minerality, clean gentle smoke; long dry finish. (Per importer tasting notes.)
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- ~45.5% ABV (91 proof, batch-varying) — 750mL
- 100% Espadín — Morales family flagship, San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca
- Oscar Morales Garcia, 4th generation, from his father Don Lucio's recipe
- Tahona crush, pine-vat fermentation, double-distilled in copper
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat at full strength for the full profile, or in a smoky margarita — the 91 proof stands up to citrus and agave syrup.
Frequently asked questions
What does "white tape" mean?
Mal Bien bottles carry no printed front label — a strip of masking tape identifies the expression, like mezcaleros labeling their garrafones; white tape is the Morales family's classic espadín.
Who makes it?
Oscar Morales Garcia, 4th-generation mezcalero of San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca, from his late father Don Lucio Morales López's recipe.
What proof is it?
Reported ~91 proof (45.5%) — batches vary; confirm against the in-stock bottle.
Is this the same as Zacate Limon?
Same producer, different expression — this is the classic white-tape espadín; Zacate Limon adds lemongrass to the stills.